The search warrant to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home shows how authorities can open your phone without your consent.

The recent federal raid on the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson isn’t merely an attack by the Trump administration on the free press. It’s also a warning to anyone with a smartphone.

Included in the search and seizure warrant for the raid on Natanson’s home is a section titled “Biometric Unlock,” which explicitly authorized law enforcement personnel to obtain Natanson’s phone and both hold the device in front of her face and to forcibly use her fingers to unlock it. In other words, a judge gave the FBI permission to attempt to bypass biometrics: the convenient shortcuts that let you unlock your phone by scanning your fingerprint or face.

  • neuromorph@lemmy.world
    8·
    3 days ago

    Andoid implemented a lockout mode that when you activate, disables biometrics, usb access and hides notification.

    Its been available since the OneUI update.

    You activate by holding power and selecting lockput (where reset would be)

      • neuromorph@lemmy.world
        1·
        2 days ago

        Thanks I don’t know if this is built into general android OS or just the oneUI. But wanted to get it out there

      • Fedizen@lemmy.world
        1·
        3 days ago

        I’ve got a pixel and it will not allow biometrics on a hard power off or restart, only for login from a previous session. if I was a journalist I’d be resetting my phone constantly if I had sources to protect.

        It also hard locks if its been 24 hours since a password was typed. You can also intentionally cut your finger or fuckup your face guarantee biometric lockout. If you think you’re about to be arrested and you have fingerprint unlock you can just slice or burn your finger.

        • SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world
          3·
          3 days ago

          You can also just disable it, which is much more secure. You can have it not open your locked phone but still be used to verify it’s you in apps which is also nice.

    • ayyy@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      3 days ago

      iPhone/iPad/iWatch does this when you hold the power button to bring up the “turn off” slider. I’m pretty sure stock Android is similar. It’s great because it can be done in your pocket without even looking. I wish more people knew this, and did it every time they go through a security checkpoint or see a fascist in their periphery.

      • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
        2·
        3 days ago

        For me at least it’s tap power button 5 times rapidly, rather than holding it, on iPhone.

        Or hold power + volume down

        Edit: Do keep in mind that this doesn’t reset your phone to Before First Unlock status, so it’s still vulnerable to tools like cellebrite. This only disables Face ID until you enter the passcode again. For better protection, you’d want to fully shut down your phone, which MIGHT protect it from unlocking altogether, or it might not. If they can’t have it unlocked right away, they can get it in a few months or years since you won’t be getting security updates and they do discover new vulnerabilities every now and then.

        • phx@lemmy.world
          3·
          3 days ago

          On my android the 5-tap activates SoS mode. Holding power for a moment gives the power off and lockdown option, as does pressing power+volup simultaneously. Power+voldown appears to be screenshot.

          Most of these options will still keep the phone “active” though so I’m not sure about USB based hacks. If encryption is enabled I believe that forcing a reboot/shutdown means the data on the phone isn’t accessible until after unlocking via PIN/password on boot.

          • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
            2·
            3 days ago

            Oh yeah, so basically this will only protect from the police forcing you to look at your phone or touch the fingerprint sensor. It doesn’t actually reset to BFU so you do indeed have to shut it down fully to be more protected. I probably should’ve mentioned that in my previous comment

    • Zak@lemmy.world
      11·
      3 days ago

      This would be much better if it could be triggered by touching the fingerprint sensor with a specific finger. I’m disappointed that isn’t a feature yet.